posted 07-17-2010 08:43 AM
While comparing photos of the Pad 19 white room used during Gemini and exploring the real thing at the Air Force Space Museum, I was wondering which of the three doors on the elevator side of the room the astronauts used?

Ed's photo of the week last week shows the erector being lowered with the elevator at the second (middle) door. Is this the one the astronauts used to enter the white room from the elevator and is that the corresponding level they "boarded" the spacecraft?

Rick BoosMember

Posts: 834From: Celina,Ohio U.S.A.Registered: Feb 2000

posted 09-08-2013 08:16 PM
Yes, it was the middle one. The top one housed the R&R section (nose of spacecraft)) and the lower first door housed the adapter section.

Lou ChinalMember

Posts: 969From: Staten Island, NYRegistered: Jun 2007

posted 09-09-2013 03:37 PM
I'm going to ask a silly question. Was the R&R section jettisoned before or after retro-fire?

posted 09-09-2013 04:31 PM
After, unless you wanted a bad day at the office! Per the Gemini 4 mission description on the National Space Science Data Center website:

At an altitude of roughly 15,000 meters the astronauts would deploy a 2.4 meter drogue chute from the rendezvous and recovery section. At 3230 meters altitude the crew releases the drogue which extracts the 5.5 meter pilot parachute. The rendezvous and recovery section is released 2.5 seconds later, deploying the 25.6 meter main ring-sail parachute which is stored in the bottom of the section.

Lou ChinalMember

Posts: 969From: Staten Island, NYRegistered: Jun 2007

posted 09-09-2013 04:40 PM
Okay, thanks! I was too lazy to look it up myself.